Outboard motor lock



May 16, 1961 .1. s. PUTMAN ETAL OUTBOARD MOTOR LOCK Original Filed Dec. 26, 1956 S m w m m JOHN $.PUTMAN y NICHOLAS R.BABAJOFF mam Babajoif, 1685 1 W. Lincoln, St., Birmingham, Mich.; said Putman assignor to said Babajott OriginalapplicationlDec. 26, 1956, Ser. No. 630,632, now Patent No. 2,912,847, dated Nov. 17, 1959. Dividzegg andthis application-Sept. 28, 1959, Ser. No.

1 '1' claim. V on. 70-232 This invention relates to an outboard motor lock and the present application. is a .division of our application, Serial No. 630,632, filed December 26, 1956, resulting in Patent No. 2,912,847, November 17, 1959. This application relates-particularly to an outboard motor lock designed to prevent the theft or unauthorized removal ofthemotor.

a 1 One object of this-invention is to provide an outboard motor lock which is relatively inexpensive and composed of a few simple parts. 7

Another object of theinvention'is to provide 'an' outboard motor lock which is adjustable and consequently adapted for use in connection with motors of varying shapes and sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide an outboard motor lock which is designed so that it will not interfere with the operation of the motor.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, showing a locking device embodying the invention in operative relation to an outboard motor;

Fig. 2' is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates generally a support or standard for an outboard motor which support may be a display support or the rear end or transom of a boat to which the outboard motor may be attached. The outboard motor frame 12 is secured to the support 10 by a pair of identical C-clamps 14 which are fixed to or formed integrally with the motor frame 12. O-clamps 14 are of conventional design wherein one jaw or abutment part 15 is constituted by a surface of the frame 12 itself and the other jaw or abutment part is formed by a screw 18 threaded in an arm 16 of the clamp spaced away from the frame. The arms 16 which are spaced away from the frame by a connecting part 17 complete the formation of the clamps and a screw 18 is threaded through each arm 16 for securing the outboard motor to the support 10. The screws 18 have threaded shanks 20 which threadedly engage in threaded openings in the arms 16, and pads 22 are provided at the inner ends of the screw shanks for engagement with the support 10 in opposition to the abutment part 15. Each screw has an elongated head 24 rigid with the outer end thereof and extending transversely of the shank.

The locking device is identified generally by the reference numeral 26 and is engageable with the screw heads to prevent them from turning and hence to lock the clamp against unauthorized removal either from a display. stand or from a mountingon a boat. The lock Patented May 16, 1961 26 includes a pair of tubular members 28 and 30. Each tubular member is cylindrical and open at each end. The tubular member 30 is of slightly smaller diameter than the tubular member 28 so that it may telescope Within the tubular member 28 as shown in the drawings. The tubular member 30 has a close sliding fit within the tubular member 28 although capable of being moved into and out of telescoping relation with ease.

The tubular members 28 and 30 are formed with elongated slots 32 and 33 respectively in the walls thereof. The slot in each member extends lengthwise thereof and is open at the telescoping or inner end of the member. The opposite end of the slots terminate short of the outer ends of the tubular members; The slots 32 and 33 are of the same width, such width being slightly greater than the diameter of the screw shanks 20. t

The tubular members 28 and 30 are of large enough inside diameter to receive the screw heads 24 when the latter are turned as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 so that they-extend lengthwise of the tubular members. However, the inside diameter of the tubular members is con- 5 siderably less than the length of the heads 24 so that the heads. cannot rotate within the locking device but are capable only of a limited oscillation.

Before the locking device is applied, the 'heads 24 of the screws are turned so that they extend in a common plane as in the drawing. The tubular member 28 is then applied over one screw head and the tubular member 30 over the other, the slots 32 clearing the screw shanks 20. The tubular members 28 and 30 are moved still farther together until their inner ends telescope with one another and in this position the slots of course register with one another.

The tubular member 28 is formed with the pairs of diametrically opposite aligned apertures 34, 36 and 38 and the tubular member 30 is formed with the pairs of diametrically opposite aligned apertures 40, 42 and 44. The uniform spacing between the pairs of apertures 34, 36 and 38 is equal to the uniform spacing between the pairs of apertures 40, 42 and 44. These apertures are formed in the tubular members adjacent their telescoping or inner ends.

When the tubular members are applied over the screw heads in the operative relationship illustrated, the bow or shackle 46 of a padlock 48 is inserted through one pair of aligned apertures in the tubular member 28 and through an aligned pair of apertures in the other tubular member. The padlock is then closed and the key removed, and the screws are thus retained by the locking device against rotation so that the outboard motor cannot be removed.

The length of the slots 32 is such that the locking device may be applied to outboard motor clamps having more or less spacing between the clamping screws than that shown. Moreover, by reason of the fact that both tubular members have a plurality of aligned apertures, the tubular members may be locked in other positions in which they are telescoped to a greater or lesser degree than that shown. Thus, for example, the apertures 34 may be aligned with the apertures 42 to accommodate screw shanks that are spaced farther apart.

The width of the screw heads 24 is, of course, greater than the width of the slots so that the heads cannot be withdrawn from the tubular members laterally through the slots.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved out-board motor lock in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claim.

What we claim as our invention is:

A locking device for securing the spaced screws of an comprising a pair of elongated tubular members, each tubular member being of uniform inside and outside di'- ameter from end to end, the outside'diameter of one of said tubular members being slightly lessthanthe inside diameter'of-the other of said tubular members so that the said one of-said tubular members can have an axially slidable telescopingfit within said' other of said tubular members, the inside diameters of said tubular members being-sufiiciently large to receive the-elongated screw heads wl-ien the latter are disposed lengthwise of and within said"tubular members yetenclosing the screw heads sufiiciently closely .to prevent them from rotating more than a partial turn relative to said tubular members, saidtubular members being open at their telescoping ends, each'ofi said tubular members having in a wall thereof a longitudinally-extending slot'open at the telescopingend of said tubular member and extendfrom said telescoping end toward the otherendthereof but terminating-short-of'said'otherend, said slots being of the same width and adapted to register with one another in the telescoped relation of said tubular members, said-slots being of a width to freely receive the screw shanks enabling the latter'toslidelongitudinally in said slots and rotatethereinbutlessthan'the width and length 4, of the screw heads, and means for releasably locking said tubular members in telescoped relation with said slots in register and with the distance between the closed ends of said slots at least as great as the spacing between the screw shanks, said. "means? including transversely aligned apertures-in one of said tubular. members, a plurality of longitudinally spaced of transversely aligned apertures in therother ofsaid tubular members,'; said apertures being in the slotted sections-of-said tubular members and spaced circumferentially 90 from the slots therein, said first mentioned aligned apertures in one tubular member'being registrable with the aligned aper tures of a selected pair in the other tubular member when said tubular members are in telescoped rel'ationand their slots are in register, and a single locking shackle adapted to extend through theregistering apertures of said tubular members.

References Cited in the file or this patent' d l UNIIEDSTATESPATENTS 2,279,006 McWalters Apr. 7, 1942 2,479,300. Binz 2 Aug., 16, 1949 2,529,432 Tenner Nov. 7, 1950. 2,603,080 Ernhart July 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 437,844 Italy July. 16/ 1948 

